I absolutely loved the glimpses of them as younger students and getting to know each other. And it does give a small glimpse as to why her fellow students are so into her; though I will admit curiosity how she was able to avoid being sneered at for being TOO nice. Given how at least one student turned on her, I wonder if some of her “friends” (outside the core group) were friends with her because of Sandril.

It would be interesting sometime to see a story of her first days at the Academy, but only if it didn’t detract from the regular plot.

I’m dying to see how Lilith reacts to that price of admission. A while back, I speculated whether Lilith might refuse (“What? You made a bargain with thieves?!? You shouldn’t have!”). I think it’s unlikely but I can admit that if I were in Lilith’s shoes, I’d feel a bit uneasy. At least I hope that Viviana will be a bit forthcoming with why box is so important to her and that it’s not just thieving for sake of thieving but rather Ileasaar’s independence or at least justice.

And in panel 4 we have reason to suspect that Ilias may have an extreme variant of the condition known as xy nerual blindness, it occurs when a male is unable to see the obvious even when provided an extreme amount of time to see it. Said condition effects most males.

I am enjoying the last strips a lot! After all the tension of the prison escape, they have the same feeling as the chapter “Many Meetings” from The Fellowship of the Ring (the first part of The Lord of the Rings).

I can’t help but notice that Lilith is just playing a game with Sandril (from the opposite side of the board, no less), and she is being up close and personal with Ilias while healing his wound. Once again we see her being closer to Ilias in a personal way than she is with Sandril.

Also, it would appear that regular magic users are capable of performing healing magic, so there is little need for clerics in this world’s adventure parties.

@ Anon:
I don’t think they should have any problems as far as convincing Lilith to help open the box. Not only did the Shadowdancers help save Lilith’s life, but their main purpose in opening it is to unveil proof of Delvor’s crimes (TS: 10). Since the friends have suspected that Delvor was using Lilith as a scapegoat (SD: 42) and since Delvor was apparently very keen on getting Lilith executed no matter what (LJB: 18), I’m sure Lilith won’t need much extra motivation for helping them to expose him.

Besides, Lilith is Ileasaaran and therefore might be sympathetic to the Shadowdancers’ cause anyway (just like the rest of Ileasaar in TS: 44). Her parents certainly felt resentment against Cania’s government for what they did (TS: 3).

As to Lilith’s interrupted question–which I am assuming was something like “Where should we go now that we are all on the run from the law?”–it would seem she has no other option but to go along with the Shadowdancers wherever they go. Eldor had already brought up suspicions of Ileasaar’s resistance movement as being behind the attacks on the Academy (TS: 38), most likely in anticipation of a successful rescue attempt by the Shadowdancers. The fact that they helped rescue their “mole” from execution (with some sort of teleportation spell, no less) will almost certainly convince King Olrik of the need to squash the resistance movement with military force. By rescuing Lilith, the Shadowdancers made themselves and the entire resistance movement suspect in the attack on the Red Hall, and they will have to be on the run from the law alongside Lilith and her friends for the same reason as they.

While I’m certain Lilith will oblige with the box, I’m not so convinced that it’s an easy thing for her, or even possible. Meta reasons might swing the balance in favor of a quick progression toward the contents of the box and on, but I could just as well picture Lilith very, very sorry, but at a loss with the this seal. Interesting!

I feel partially responsible for this page, as i mentioned the problem of this little debt after the Lilith bedroom scene…
AND outlined this scenario….
AND made a joke….

How long ago?
My suspicion is there’s a healthy buffer on this strip, so any comment made in the last week, (or even month plus, if your name is Howard Taylor,) was probably made after the strips were completed, scanned, and waiting to post.
I could be wrong. Several prominent web-cartoonists can’t manage to create, and maintain, a buffer, but they also have days they can’t keep up, and end up either skipping and saying nothing, or posting an apology or filler art. As regular as this strip is, I strongly suspect a healthy buffer.

I can’t help but notice that Lilith is just playing a game with Sandril (from the opposite side of the board, no less), and she is being up close and personal with Ilias while healing his wound. Once again we see her being closer to Ilias in a personal way than she is with Sandril.
Also, it would appear that regular magic users are capable of performing healing magic, so there is little need for clerics in this world’s adventure parties.

I suspect hands-on healing is hard to do from the opposite side of a game board, and rearranging the players so the fourth wall lined up with the open side, would confuse who was playing against who, (that is, it’d be debatable that Lilith and Sandril were playing as a team.) Granted, Illias was the first viewpoint character we were introduced to, and the one who WE first learned was romantically interested in Lilith, so the tendency would be to assume he’s the Hero, and To Get The Girl. I’m not sold on the outcome, though I’d not object in either case.

While I’m certain Lilith will oblige with the box, I’m not so convinced that it’s an easy thing for her, or even possible. Meta reasons might swing the balance in favor of a quick progression toward the contents of the box and on, but I could just as well picture Lilith very, very sorry, but at a loss with the this seal. Interesting!

I could see it going either way. The box was basically encrypted. If she gets it open, it may contain information, that while damning, is no longer actionable, (it has been a few years, after all,) or she could struggle with it until something more important comes along, like a red-magic attack on a civilian population, demanding her immediate attention.

I actually agree. I don’t think it’s likely and I’m reasonably sure that Viviana will at least oblige to ensure that Lilith doesn’t feel she has became an accessory (and this time, not falsely).

Besides, Lilith is Ileasaaran and therefore might be sympathetic to the Shadowdancers’ cause anyway (just like the rest of Ileasaar in TS: 44).

Actually, we never really see her expressing an opinion one way or other regarding ShadowDancers, since the ShadowDancers didn’t come into the story after Lilith was arrested and sentenced. That is my main reason for waffling on whether there’s going to be a new conflict in form of Lilith refusing or being reluctant to help.

Yes, her parents certainly were patriotic (perhaps too strong a word but that’ll suffice) but that’s her parents and not her. Who knows — maybe more Cania rubbed off her during her academy years, for example?

it would seem she has no other option but to go along with the Shadowdancers wherever they go.

That is very true. It did strike me odd because someone else commented several pages a theory that maybe Eldor is trying to isolate Lilith in order to recruit her to his cause on the basis of “you have nowhere else to go.” Viviana did say that she must open the box, no matter how long it takes her. That’s practically a hostage situation.

I really don’t think either would happen but I just found it interesting that things get too close that it could be easily flipped for something exactly the opposite. And that’s why I can’t wait for next page. 🙂

Even if it wasn’t for the box, Lilith can’t exactly reappear in Cania, given the Authorities are going to be looking high and low for her. Right at this very minute, she’s probably in the process of being proclaimed Public Enemy Number One.

Also, given the nationality of both Lilith and the Shadowdancers, the prison break will provide Cania with all the excuses it needs to invade Ileasaar, so even if Lilith does manage to open the box, the contents are probably best used initially as a rallying cry for Ileasaarans to help them prepare and arm themselves for the coming storm.

As for Lil’s friends, what they do will, to a certain degree, depend on (a) how long they’ve spent waiting for her to recover in the Shadowkeep, (b) whether there’s any magical truth potions / spells. If there’s a high probability of her friends being interrogated, they’ll be personas non grata in Cania.

It’s just as well the Shadowdancers were preparing to move to Ileasaar within a few days anyway – they’ll probably end up taking a few others with them as well (and the more competent fighters on their side, the better!). However, it would be advisable to keep the Shadowkeep maintained, as it could be a very useful base, both for planning operations and executing them (configure various exits around Ileasaar). Brewing up a large batch of teleport potion might be useful as well, in case a mass evacuation of a village is necessary.

We finally have it established wtf is wrong with Ilias! He’s not “in love” with Lilith. He’s infatuated with her because she was his nurse. She was the first person that was nice to him, and now he confuses “gratitude” with “undying love”. Classic phenomenon.

Also, based on the paid publishing site, this comic actually has almost a month of buffer material(so many strips ahead!) So it’s unlikely any recent comments changed much, although things are, admitted by the creators, retconned when needbe, so it’s not entirely impossible.

Sorry but I disagree. Look it from Lilith’s vantage. She’s the one who’s getting all misty-eyed and is awed that her friends went to all this effort just to bust her out, even without any evidences or whatever to prove her innocence.

Besides, we, the audience, already know that the friends were committed to it once the idea of busting her out and recruiting ShadowDancers was suggested and then acted upon.

comment to everyone who is disliking all comments with a sarcastic tone or are about relationship developments that this page brings into question: take it in stride people, there is nothing wrong with what we have been saying if you have an issue with it please reply to the perspective comments so we can understand the issue or at least ensure that said dislikes were not the result of miscommunication, otherwise you look like a bunch of forum trolls in the comments section that don’t even have the curtsey to identify themselves. If you don’t agree with others ideas it wont help your opinions any to just to throw a dislike and not say anything, I think I speak for most of us when I say we like to see multiple viewpoints on a subject that may not agree with our own so that we may expand upon our theories and such. the shear number of dislikes in the comment section on this page in addition to where those dislikes are being placed is alarming, I understand not everyone may appreciate my joke earlier in the comments, but for example PMark’s observations about the positioning of the players in panel 3 did not deserve as much hate as it got. Neither did Lucid’s gratitude v Love remark which was CLEARLY sarcastic deserve it. Unless I am missing something clearly offensive in those comments then there’s quite a few people who either need to get a sense of humor or speak up.

I am sorry if this seems ranty or insulting to other people, but I feel it had to be said for the benefit of everyone who likes to share they’re thoughts or just have fun in with other people who read this wonderful comic .

@ mhalpern:
We have much more upvotes than downvotes here, and I think most downvotes go to comments that appear either degrading (either direct attacks or e.g. insisting there is sexual content where there is none) or appear to fight in shipping wars (by insisting official couples are wrong and must be split so their favorite character has a chance). Maybe the appearance is not what the posters had meant, but the posters should also acknowledge the cases where the appearance could easily be assumed even if it is wrong.

I don’t hate Ilias. He usually is a nice guy. But I think Lilith was neither coerced nor seduced into her relationship with Sandril, and Sandril appears to be honest and respecting Lilith. The situation may change over the duration of the story. Maybe they will split – but I see no reason that they *must* split.

I could go on, but I think it would lead to a situation of me saying bad things about posters who don’t deserve that, so I’ll stop here.

Ilias and Lilith don’t really match in personality at all. However, as of this update, we now have information that Ilias is suffering from a classic syndrome where patients make romantic attachments to their caretakers by mistaking the care for “love”.

There is nothing at all, whatsoever, sarcastic about this observation. Ilias is suffering from a mental disease. I can’t recall the exact name of the syndrome, but it’s the inverse of “Florence Nightingale Syndrome”, but often the name is mixed up with it.

He’s not in “love” with her, he just hasn’t learned how to differentiate his feelings. It’s rather textbook.

That anyone is upset with this very bland observation is absurd. I can’t understand why anyone would pretend it’s “sarcastic” to note it.

Ilias mistook Lilith taking care of him as Lilith caring for/loving him, and whether he admits it or not, that’s the basis of his infatuation. That’s it. That’s all. Very simple psychology.

I really don’t get why anyone even likes Ilias, he’s an uninteresting character who’s quite a jerk. Do they identify so very much with the “Oh Lili, why must I love you” whining BS from the first few pages, or do they want him to be the ultimate hero since he was the first person shown in a regular panel? He’s had no growth, and the story would be pretty much identical if we removed him from it completely. He’s highly irrelevant to the plot, boring, and fairly one dimensional.

Now, if you were suggesting the people praising him or rooting for him were being sarcastic, THAT I could see. It would make a lot more sense if all the pro-Ilias stuff was sarcasm. I was very much okay with not seeing him for 7 whole months, and I wouldn’t mind if he went away for 7 more, or 50 more, or 100 more.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that, realistically, learning that he’s just a victim of a classic emotional transference syndrome is probably the most interesting thing about him. It at least gives him the potential to get over his psychological problem, and find whoever he should be with.

Maybe San or her sister, since we seem to believe we’ll meet them eventually. Or someone else entirely.

The creators don’t seem lazy enough or careless enough to have him end up with Lilith. They don’t match at all.

He may become interesting, he may change into someone worth caring about, but right now, he’s kind of an emo a-hole, whose best feature is that at least we have a partial explanation for why he’s effed up.

I usually disagree with Lucid, but on this one occasion I actually agree with him. To me the scenario of Ilias falling in love with Lilith would be the same as someone falling in love with a friendly nurse. One of which is just doing her job and may or may not have a boyfriend already.

@ AmbiValent:
Sandril didn’t have to seduce or anything he just got to Lilith first/ Lilith at some point got tired of waiting for Ilias / Lilith didn’t want to hurt Sandril emotionally so she went with it@ Lucid:
Ahh my now I know, however I doubt it, these last few pages have been more about how Lilith treats her friends, she could of had literally any guy (except blind Ilias who she really wanted) in the Academy if you take the flip side of what Ryn said in RH, Ilias would have ended up loving Lilith regardless, she was (from what we have heard and seen) the kindest, smartest, most skilled girl in the academy, and she is also cute, VERY FEW heterosexual guys wouldn’t be extremely attracted to her Ilias is no exception.

Lucid brings up a perfectly valid scenario that fits the facts as we know them as to why Ilias is hung-up on Lilith. However, it doesn’t answer the issue as to why Lilith continues to show intimacy towards Ilias that we’ve seldom (only once, in fact) see her showing towards her supposed boyfriend. Which is why I continue to suggest that maybe Lilith likes Ilias more than she cares to admit, even to herself.

@ Lucid:
I can not agree that the sphincter psychology of Ilias is as you say. And his love for Lilith has matured already, by evidence of his commitment, initiative, and endurance in the rescue of Lilith. I like Ilias.

Ilias and Lilith don’t really match in personality at all. However, as of this update, we now have information that Ilias is suffering from a classic syndrome where patients make romantic attachments to their caretakers by mistaking the care for “love”.

There is nothing at all, whatsoever, sarcastic about this observation. Ilias is suffering from a mental disease. I can’t recall the exact name of the syndrome, but it’s the inverse of “Florence Nightingale Syndrome”, but often the name is mixed up with it.

We don’t have information that this is the case, we have information that this may be the case. Ilias have a problematic crush on Lilith and we know that she at least on one occasion toke care of him. However, this is in no way evidence that the latter is the cause of the former. Ever heard of “correlation does not imply causation?” Basically, it could easily be so that Ilias has a crush on Lilith, she used to take care of him at occasions, but the actual reason for Ilias’ crush is because he finds Lilith pretty, kind and intelligent.

I doubt Lucid’s idea is correct, but there is nothing intrinsically wrong with it. As for myself, I am more inclined to think Ilias’s crush on Lilith is being unconsciously (or consciously) encouraged along by all the attention she’s been giving him. Let’s face it, she hasn’t exactly been pushing him away, has she. Look at the hug she gave to Ryn last page. That’s a great example of what I mean by a “push-away”.

The characters in this strip are progressing very well. You know the readers care about the characters when they speculate so much about things they have been given little (and sometimes contradictory) evidence for or against such views.

ALL 6 of the characters present in this page have grown since they were first introduced. Llias’ growth has been the most subtle, due to his position as a dependable and caring support character.

This is somewhat like the bridge crew of the original Star Trek series (first 2 seasons, at least).
While the main focus was one the Kirk/Spock/McCoy trio, the rest of the bridge crew turned out to be very well-rounded and dependable (except for Yeoman Rand, who didn’t last long).

Not bad for a show the producers were trying to get rid of (and failed to a certain extent, LOL).

Look at the hug she gave to Ryn last page. That’s a great example of what I mean by a “push-away”.

While I don’t disagree with your thesis, I’m not sure that this is a good example to put forward for that thesis. I interpreted that particular as Ryn buddy-hugging her, not the other way around. If Lili was the one buddy-hugging, the hug would be more awkward, you know, the pelvis & chest being far apart, only the shoulder touching. That’s not the case there.

The lack of intimacy towards Sandril is perhaps more compelling but I am inclined to reserve my judgment because we’ve not really seen Sandril & Lilith on their own, nor do we know why they are together in the first place. The authors has chose to show us the tensions between Ilias and Lilith far more than between Sandril and Lilith. I doubt that’s accidental and I suspect the authors has a conflict to play out in later chapter on that subject.

@ Anon:
I am not really making a strong and firm stand on any of the ships. What I am mainly interested in right now is determining the scoreboard and where each person stands. My feelings on the matter are the first four chapters are Act One. We have been introduced to the players and basic story conflicts. Anything and everything can change over the course of the rest of the story. Ryn might eventually end up with Lilith for all we know.

All I can definitely state is except for Sandril holding her hand while she was unconscious, and him with his arm around her waist in Panel #2 on this page, we have seem almost no affection exchanged between these two. The only affection she has shown for Sandril was the little hologram in prison that said “I love you”. So right now I see real cause for hope on Ilias’s part that he and Lilith might end up as a couple.

@ PMark:
Healing a wound kinda requires to be up close and personal… it’s not like she’s hugging him or kissing his wound or anything.
Tbh you can’t really tell who she loves more based on little bits of positioning. Both of them contributed equally to her rescue, both of them treat her equally, both of them love her equally, and both of them have great personalities. It’s probably going to get down to one of them saying ‘I love her but you can have her because she deserves you more’.